starting a new med today

Topic:

For the past year I have been on Keppra 250mg twice daily. It has controlled my seizures but all year I have had a really bad temper,get dizzy spells daily and in the last month I have not went anywhere and all I do is cry. My husband is not supportive and has no understanding of what I am going through. We fight all the time!!! I went to my neurologist last week and told him that I needed to get off this medicine and he is starting me on Lamictal 50mgXR. I am very nervous about taking this with my Keppra cause I can't wean off Keppra for another two weeks. I hate trying new meds cause I have literally tried almost all of them and could not handle the side effects. I am very scared. Anyone have a similar story or any positive advice. I have noone to talk to about this. Noone I know has epilespy and like I said my husband has no compassion for me nor does he want to try an educate himself about it.

Thanks

Crystal

Comments

Hi Crystal Happy New Year!! I totally relate to how you feel. I've been on Keppra XR for 2 years, 1000mg am & pm and recently have been getting bad depression,insomnia, anger & am just not myself. I was great for a long time without breakthrough seizures but now they are back (simple partial) From these boards it seems Lamical & Keppra are taken by many people & just Lamical alone has been successful for so many.. It is hard changing meds but its great when they work out in the end. I have changed easily 6-8 times and for me keppra was the toughest one to get used to. Once I did & was seizure free for a long time I overlooked the other side effects.. Now its all catching up with me so I might be next changing meds. Have you tried taking b6? That helps with depression in a lot of people. Something about Keppra inhibits me too where I start feeling very anti social and like not going anywhere..(is that depression?) I push myself out! Taking walks in the morning helps me a lot. Try to keep a positve attitude & keep in touch. Take the leap.. its a new year,new beginning

Best of luck

Sash07

Attitude is everything. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly.......

I have been taking Lamictal since being diagnosed with Epilepsy 2 1/2 years ago. I started taking Lamictal xr 1 year ago and take 300mg in am and pm. I love it. I have had not problems. I also take Topomax. I recently talked to my neurologist and asked him if I ever had to increase my medication that I would want him to increase the Lamictal because I have tolerated it so well. I realize that different people react to medications in different ways, but this medication has worked for me. I have temporal lobe seizures, simple partial. Good luck. I hope you find the support that you need on this site.

I'm sorry to hear that your husband hasn't been supportive...I really hope this changes for you.

The first drug that my neurologist tried me on when I was diagnosed in June 2010 was Keppra, and while it gave me some of the side effects (moodiness/depression), it unfortunately did not control my seizures very well.

My doctor started to taper me off Keppra in November and started me on Lamictal XR, 25 mg to start. I didn't have any problems with it...I am up to 200 mg a day on it and it actually makes me think more clearly, I am not as drowsy on it as I was with Keppra, and am definitely not as moody as I was. Lamictal XR is also used to treat depression/bipolar depression as well--something I learned when I read about it before I started on it...I'm one of those people who has to read about a drug before I take it. I was still on 1000 mg a day of Keppra when I started on the Lamictal XR and didn't have any issues with the two drugs interacting with one another.

Like you, I also tend to be sensitive to drugs and have strange reactions or be allergic to them, but have had no issues with Lamictal XR. It's been a pretty good drug so far, and the usual dose they try to get you to eventually is between 200-400 mg depending on what kind of seizures you have and your body weight. The only real issues I had with Lamictal XR were when I was titrating up between 75-100 mg and had headaches (not really bad ones, just sort of a nagging headache) and slight joint pains and a bit of shaking which went away after a couple of weeks on the 100 mg a day dose.

You can always come here and talk...nobody I know has epilepsy either...no history of it in my family and it hit me out of nowhere at age 40 with no know cause!

It sounds like you have definitely made the right decision by taking charge and telling your doctor that the Keppra is not for you...I think that you will find the Lamictal XR will work out better and will have less side effects for you. I also hope that the drug change will make things easier between you and your husband; having a chronic condition is not easy but it's harder without support.

Please keep us updated on how the drug change works out for you, and I hope that you come back often to get the support you need.